"novice's" gleanings in bee culture. 



combs emptied with the extractor, yon will 

 be astonished to find them bringing in honey 

 in spite of dry weather or anything else. 



Don't let honey enough accumulate in the 

 bive at any time to induce the swarming fe- 

 ver, but keep raising brood and we should 

 not be astonished if you before the season 

 cloaed, should say, as our " women folks " 

 did in 1870, that they " really wished the lit- 

 tle chaps would stop, for we have got more 

 honey than anybody would ever want " 



S. L. Root of Austinburg, O., says : I lost 

 one hive last Winter out of twelve of dysen- 

 tery. I think it was the only one that had 

 had no upward ventilation." 



We have no doubt but that your colony and 

 many others would have been saved by more 

 ventilation, and at the same time had they 

 been confined to a diet of pure sugar syrup 

 this extra ventilation would not been needed. 



We have colonies now, that for experiment 

 have entrances almost closed and top closed | 

 entirely, as close as a tight, painted cover 

 will close it, yet they are wintering without 

 detriment: drops of moisture hang on the \ 

 cover directly over the cluster, but the bees ] 

 look perfectly natural : bodies are not dis- 

 tended in the least, and unless disturbed, no 

 sound is heard from them at all. Natural 

 stores are sometimes perhaps as wholesome 

 as honey, but can we afford to run the risk? " 



T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, 111., writes. 

 " The loss of bees in this section will be 

 heavy owing to the extreme cold weather, 28 

 to 32 degrees below zero last week. Box hives 

 mostly in use and no care given." 



We have no doubt but that bees can bs win- 

 tered out of doors safely, but the expense of 

 the extra amount of sugar for food, would 

 soon pay for houses for them. 



J. Anderson, Tiverton, Canada, writes : 

 " My bees never did better than last season. 

 They are now in cellar, strong and healthy, 

 and with plenty of honey, so I expect to have 

 them in good condition in Spring." 



" My queens are all young, and from an 

 imported mother, but well marked, and ex- 

 cellent workers. I would like a queen or two 

 a little brighter. How is this secured?" See 

 article in next number, " How to Improve 

 our Bees." But we advise you not to get the 

 brighter ones if you want the best honey 

 gatherers. 



Job Huestis, East Fairfield, Ohio, asks 

 if "the Lindens all blossom at the same 

 time." The period of blooming varies as 

 much as three or four weeks, as we observed 

 in the forests about here last season , and we 

 think varieties might be collected that would 

 extend the period to two or three months. 



George Porratt, Winnimac, Ind., asks : 

 '' will it pay me to get another kind of hive? 

 I use the Quinby hive, 100 of them, 72 with 

 bees in them, and 2i ready for use next 

 Spring. I also use the National Bee Hive 

 Extractor. Will it pay me to get another, if 

 so what one." 



We would not change, if yon have Quinby 's 

 hive, with suspended frames, but those that 



are supported from the bottom we really can 

 not think convenient. We have never seen 

 the Extractor, you mention, but would use no 

 extractor that obliges you to revolve the case 

 and honey. 



IT. B. Rolfe, Westfield, N. Y , writes : " I 

 see you have thrown honey boxes aside, but I 

 think I will have to stick to them, from the 

 fact that I am unable to handle frames readily 

 on account of my right hand being crippled, 

 I can handle boxes with my left hand. I 

 would like to raise queens and try swarming 

 artificially, but all the descriptions look too 

 formidable for one hand business. 



" I wintered my bees in cellar two Winters 

 without loss, but one year ago I removed the 

 honey-board as per Langstroth, and lest forty 

 stocks " 



We think you can handle frames as well as 

 boxes, but of course you will have to "go slow" 

 with either. Have the frames rest on a strip 

 of metal, or the metal rabbet, so that they can 

 be lifted out when handled by the middle of 

 the top bar ; we often take one in each hand 

 thus. But the metal rabbet should always be 

 fastened in the wood, so that the back is 

 slanting in such a way as to guide the frame 

 into its place when the projections strike it. 

 When the frame is in place, not more than J 

 of an inch end-shake should be allowed, but 

 this space should increase as it is raised to work 

 with facility; if the back part of the metal rabbet 

 slopes up to the top of the end of the hive all 

 the better, and then the projecting ends of 

 the frame slide down the smooth surface of the 

 tin very nicely. Any tinsmith can fold them 

 very cheaply. We feel quite sure removing 

 the honey-boards was not the cause of Mr. 

 Rolfe's loss. Were none lost in your vicinity 

 that had honey -boards left on.? 



Mr. S. Rowell, of Blooming Grove, Minn, 

 thinks he has a plan for securing the fertili- 

 zation of queens, and asks if we think it of 

 sufficient importance to be worthy of going to 

 much expense in testing it. 



We have never given any subject so much 

 time and study with so little success as the 

 above, and really think that if the plans given 

 us now by the best authorities were successfu 1 

 it would be cheaper to let our bees manage it 

 themselves and take the chances for their 

 purity. Some of our friends thought they 

 had succeeded, but careful examination has 

 convinced us that the queens flew out after all, 

 and some queens do squeeze through an ori- 

 fice nearly or quite as small as that of the 

 worker. Some one who has had experience 

 may tell Mr. Rowell what he may expect of 

 his plan without the trouble or expense of an 

 actual trial. We have at present no faith in 

 wire or cloth houses for the purpose. 



Mr. Shaw who advertises on last page, has 

 made many and some quite expensive experi- 

 ments and with a patience and determina- 

 tion in trying all the plans recommended 

 that we think deserved something better than 

 total failures. 



